Westbrook has been hurt since training camp, Brooks says originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
While Russell Westbrook's left quad soreness was not revealed by the team until this past weekend, it turns out he's been dealing with it for much longer than that.
Head coach Scott Brooks said Westbrook's injury dates all the way back to training camp, which began over a month ago.
"He will probably be upset that I’m saying this. He hurt himself, he got hit pretty bad in his quad in training camp," Brooks said. "The thing about him is he’s tough as nails."
Westbrook, 32, played through the discomfort and there was a period where it improved, Brooks said. But then he got hit again and then again during the team's loss to the Sixers last week.
"It bothered him. He pushed through it with treatment and padding. He never made an excuse, not even to me," Brooks said.
Brooks also added he and other members of the Wizards talked to Westbrook before his trade to Washington in December. He told them he felt great and was healthy despite dealing with an injury to his other quad in last season's playoffs.
Westbrook will now sit at least one more week before being re-evaluated, which means he's likely to miss the Wizards' next four games. Brooks is hopeful a week off will get his quad back to 100 percent and also his right ring finger, which was dislocated in the fourth quarter of the same Sixers game.
"He has that Ronnie Lott mentality. He would have chopped that finger off it was bothering him and still play," Brooks said. "He wants to play every minute of every game. We have to control it."
Westbrook is averaging 19.3 points, 11.3 assists and 9.7 rebounds this season, but also 5.3 turnovers and he's shooting just 37.8 percent from the field. This piece of news may help explain why.
